William vogel



(No Model.)

WQVOGEL. V

ELEGTRIO RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented Jan. 8, 1884.

INVENTOR WZLW BY /4 26 ATTORNEY N PEYSRS. Fhnlo-Lillmgmpher, Washington D. c

p, Nrrn STATES armer WVILLIAM VOGEL, OF CHICAGO, ILL. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM T. UNDEBYVOOD AND BERNHARD SOHRAM, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,556, dated January 8, 1884.

Application filed May 15, 1883. (No modcL) To (ZZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM VoGEL, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. 1

- This invention relates to improvements in electric circuits that at any time will indicate whether or not the railway-track between two stations is in safe condition; and it is my object to produce a system of electric circuits that, for the purpose of preventing accidents,

will announce at the station, by the striking of a bell, (one for each string of track-rails,) the removal or a sufficient interference to break the wire connection of any single rail.

My invention therefore consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and specifically claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a diagram that shows the electric apparatus at the depot and the electric-circuit wire connections between the track-rails and the station apparatus. Fig. 2 represents an edge view of the station apparatus as arranged on shelves against a wall, and Fig. 3 part of the station apparatus on an enlarged scale.

Corresponding letters in the several figures of the drawings designate like parts.

A A and B B denote the rails forming the rail'waytrack, that are secured upon the cross ties in the usual manner, and are insulated from each other; and each two adjacent rails, A A or B B, are connected from about their middle portion by a wire, a or b, in a manner that through these wires (4 or b can be passed an electric current, which is connected to be continuous by the intermediate or middle portion of each rail, and which circuit will be broken by breaking the wire connection with, breaking the rail between said connections, or removal of any single rail. These wires a b may be placed under ground, as on embankments, to be disrupted by the sliding or washing away of road-bed, or above ground, to be broken by a rock or tree tumbling down upon woody country.

0 denotes a telegraph-wire extending from station to station, that may be suspended on poles in the usual manner, and that at the end of the road-section is connected with one of each of the wires a and b; i

The apparatus at each station consists of the galvano-electric battery D, an electric bell, E, a

two electro-inagnets, F and G, each having a spring-armature, f g, secured to posts 0 d, and

engaging with a contact-post, e h. Above this battery and electro-magnet is secured upon a shelf, H, a metallic plate, j, that has two cylindrical metallic standards, I, which from line 12 upward are eXteriorly covered with hard rubber or other insulating material, and that have each ahook formed to their upper extremity for coupling a spiral spring, J. Up on each standard I is loosely sleeved a metallic hub, K, that has two arms, m and n, the upper one, an, of which connects with the lower end "of spring J, that will yieldingly hold the hub K at its elevated position to be in contact only with the insulated portion of standard I. The

lower arm, a, of each hub K has coupled a rod or cord, Z, that has for a handle a ring, L, by I which to pull such hub K down to be in contact with the metallic surface of standard I, and with a metallic spring, 0, that is also fixed upon shelf H.

The negative pole of battery D is connected by a Wire, 0, with the upperends of springs J J. Each spring 0 0 is connected by a wire, pp, with one of the contact-posts e and h, andthe nietallicplate j isconnec-ted by awire, q, with the telegraph-wire G. The positive pole of the battery D connects by a wire, 1' 'r, with the wire coil of each electro-magnet F and G, and the coil of magnet F is connected again by a wire, 8, with one of the wires b, while the coil of electro-magnet G is connected by a wire, 8, with one of the wires a, that form electric circuit connections between the rails A. A wire, it, also connects the positive pole of the battery I) with the electro-magnet coil of bell E, which again, by wires a and a, is connected with the two armature-posts c and d. While the hubs K and springs J J raise and hold them, such hubs are in contact only with the insulating-coating of standards I when all the electric circuits 7 are incomplete; but with pulling the hub K I plained the hub as stopping on the conductdown to be in contact with the metallic surface of standard I an electric circuit is completed, that passes from battery D through the wires 1) and rails B, and by pulling the hub K down another electriccircuit is completed, that passes through wires 64 and rails A.

For better explanation I will now describe the course the electric circuit takes with testing the safe condition of one rail-string of the track between two stations.

The station-keeper pulling on cord Z to lower hub K, the circuit will be from battery D through wire 0, spring J, hub K, standard I, plate j, wire q, telegraph-wire 0, through first wire I) to first rail B, thence through second wire b to second rail B, and so on to wire 8. thence through wire coil of electro-magnet F, and thence return through wire r to battery D again. While the hub K is thus held-that is, onthe conducting portion of the standard I, but not touching the spring Othe electric current thus passing through the wire coil of electro-magnet F, it will attract the armature f but in case the abovedescribed electric circuit is incomplete by the displacement of a rail, B, or by the breaking of one of the connectingwires 12, the armature f will not be attracted, and will remain in contact with post 6, and thus with pulling the hub K on down into contact with spring 0 the following circuit will be established between the battery and electric bell, viz: from battery D through wire 0, spring J, hub K, spring 0, wire 12, post 6, armature f, post 0, wire a, wire coil of magnet of electric bell E, and through wire 15 to the battery D again. This latter circuit thus being complete, the bell will ring. ner by pulling the hub K, either one of the two circuits will be completed, but never both at the same time, because when the track-circuit is intact the electro-magnet F attracts the armature f, and thereby breaks the circuit with the alarm-bell, and when the track-circuit, for some cause or another, is incomplete the armature f will remain in contact with post a, and will provide a complete circuit between the bell and battery, that will ring the bell and thus announce the unsafe condition of the track.

In testing the track-circuits 'the hub K or K is not. pulled down into contact with the springs O or O in so doing, but is only drawn down upon the conducting portion of the standard I and held there long enough to let the current have full action uponthe magnets F or G, when, if such track-circuits are complete, the said magnets will attract their armatures, and the circuits which would otherwise be produced by pulling the hubs on .down into contact with the springs, which circuits embrace said armatures and require them to be in position shown, are broken by the armatures being drawn down to the magnets, and the alarm will not ring. I have exscribed without any stop thereon.

In this maning portion of the standard, but the action of the current being instantaneous, the time con sumed in drawing the hub over the conducting portion of said standard between the insulated portion and the spring will be suflicient to accomplish the purpose above de- In event, however, that the track-circuits are incomplete, as above explained, the armatures f and 9 remain as shown, when the hubs are drawn down upon the conducting portions of the standards before reaching the springs, and when drawn down against the springs the bell will ring.

Before a train is to leave the depot or station, the station-keeper or road-master will pull the cord Z to find whether the alarm-bell will strike. and then, after releasing such cord Z again, he will pull cord Z in a like manner, and when with either pulling an alarm is sounded the station-keeper or road-master will know that the track or road-bed is in a damaged condition and 011 which side of the track he will have to look for a breakage. WVith the above device the electric circuit passes through a very short portion of each rail only, so as to keep the current concentrated and prevent diffusion and distribution and loss of force by leakage in case of dampness, which takes place when an electric current passes over large surfaces.

What I claim is 1. In an electric circuit for railway signaling, the connections from middle to middle of adjoining rails by sectional wires, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electric signaling system for railways, the combination of the two independent circuits for the two lines of rails, the electro-magnets F and G, one included in each of said circuits, and a secondary or local circuit in which is located an alarm, and of the armatures f and g, operated to form parts of the independent circuits, respectively, when the track-circuits are complete, or parts of the lo cal circuit when the track-circuits, respectively, are interrupted, as set forth.

3. In an electric circuit for railway signaling, substantially as described, the metallic standards I, coated on their upper portion with insulating material, and each forming the guide for a metallic hub, K, suspended on a spring, J, to be pulled by a cord, Z, and forming the electric switch for the track-rail circuit, and in combination with spring 0 for the bell-circuit, all substantially as set forth, to operate as specified. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

IVILLIAll/I VOGEL.

Witnesses:

Louis NoLrnvG,

ADAM Gno. WHITE.

IIO 

